Addblue issues

two passat man

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 17, 2012
Location
montana
TDI
2013 passat black on black
My car is in the shop because it’s dead, won’t start. Addblue countdown went to zero and then red with a wrench under it. It’s done it five times. It usually goes away after 60 Miles. It will stay away for weeks then appear. This time it didn’t go away and now it’s at VW. Tech just called and said the fault is “addblue quality” is VW addblue special? Has anyone ever seen this, because he hasn’t. I have 191,937 Miles on the car and have done the fix and took the money.
 

Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
DEF is DEF is DEF. Where have you been getting yours from? How have you been filling it? How often? What codes were being thrown?
 

two passat man

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 17, 2012
Location
montana
TDI
2013 passat black on black
Dealership has topped it off with oil changes. I normally get the Peak brand from parts store or gas station. Since the emissions work was done my DEF usage has increased. Before I could get 10,000 to 12,000 Miles from a tank. After 5,000 Miles was pushing it. I laughed when he told me that code said “quality” . Once I get the sheet from the dealership I’ll post it.
 

Rico567

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 13, 2003
Location
Central IL
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL Premium (Turned in 7/7/18)
This is weird. The only DEF that has gone into our '13 Passat after the three complimentary services has been the generic stuff from Rural King, $6.99 for a 10 quart jug. I just put it in after an oil change, and no worries— so far.
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
Why did you allow the countdown to go to zero (and how were you able to restart the engine)? Are you regularly draining the tank dry between fillings?
Your first 5 sentences are confusing. Can you clarify?
 

Mark_J

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Location
Deer Park, Washington
TDI
2015 TDI Passat SEL Premium, 2017 Fiat Spider, 2017 Ford F350 6.7 Diesel crew cab PU, 2016 Harley Trike, 2016 Tesla Model X P90D (I know went to the dark side)
There are a couple of brands of DEF out there. In my 2013 I turned in, I tried a cheaper brand and had this issue. Was told by the shop to not use it and only use the Peak Blue DEF. Supposedly it meets ISO Standards 22241 for purity and composition and is an American Petroleum Institute (API) certified diesel exhaust fluid and the others don't. Haven't verified this myself, but only use the Blue DEF in my 2015 Passat and Ford 6.7 sense without any issues so far.
 

Jetta_Pilot

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Location
West Hill, Ont.
TDI
2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
I buy the DEF fluid at large turnover truck stops for about $ 2.30 per gallon. Is VW trying to say that the big rigs use crappy DEF?
 

two passat man

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 17, 2012
Location
montana
TDI
2013 passat black on black
Got the call from the dealership. It’s a bad particulate filter, bad Nox cat. He said all sensors were working as intended. Because those 2 things were bad the computer thought the DEF tank was empty or the quality of DEF was in question. I have never run the tank to empty. I drive my car 99% hyway. Shortest trips are 250 Miles, longer ones are 750 plus. I have many times spilled DEF because it showed the fill bottle. If you ever get a fill bottle with a wrench, your car needs to go to a dealership or shop. All the work will be covered under the emissions extended warranty. I guess 192,000 these things might go bad.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Thats some good miles, at least you had the warranty. Imagine a delete would be in my future if i was pushing 190K and was looking to shell out the cash to keep it in spec.
 

Mark_J

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Location
Deer Park, Washington
TDI
2015 TDI Passat SEL Premium, 2017 Fiat Spider, 2017 Ford F350 6.7 Diesel crew cab PU, 2016 Harley Trike, 2016 Tesla Model X P90D (I know went to the dark side)
People get the weirdest ideas from what we say here. So Jetta_Pilot , did anyone, including me, say truck stops sell crappy DEF fluid, no I did not. As I said I "Haven't verified this myself". Also buying it at a truck stop for $2.30 per gallon is cheaper than buying the 2.5 gallon jug at the store. Might have to check it out because it is about half the store price for 2.5 gallons..
 

Jetta_Pilot

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Location
West Hill, Ont.
TDI
2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
Mark J
I never even quoted nor mentioned you in my post. I did refer to VW though.

As for buying at the truck stop you need to bring your own CLEAN container.
Someone on the TDI club claims he uses the pump straight int the tank. I don't think I'm the only one who gets little spills regardless of how careful you are. I use plastic bags to minimize any spills.
 

Mark_J

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Location
Deer Park, Washington
TDI
2015 TDI Passat SEL Premium, 2017 Fiat Spider, 2017 Ford F350 6.7 Diesel crew cab PU, 2016 Harley Trike, 2016 Tesla Model X P90D (I know went to the dark side)
Thanks and my apologies, have the Peak jugs so definitely going to ck this out. Thanks
 

Rico567

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 13, 2003
Location
Central IL
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL Premium (Turned in 7/7/18)
Mark J
I never even quoted nor mentioned you in my post. I did refer to VW though.

As for buying at the truck stop you need to bring your own CLEAN container.
Someone on the TDI club claims he uses the pump straight int the tank. I don't think I'm the only one who gets little spills regardless of how careful you are. I use plastic bags to minimize any spills.
When I was ready to start filling my own DEF tank, I found a deal on the M-B 10 liter jug and special hose. I just refill the jug, hook up the hose and elevate it above the DEF tank in the car. In a few minutes it has emptied, and not a drop spilled.
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
Refilling the OEM VW "Kruze" bottle is also drip free. A bit inconvenient, but virtually spill-proof.
 

Jetta_Pilot

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Location
West Hill, Ont.
TDI
2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
Refilling the OEM VW "Kruze" bottle is also drip free. A bit inconvenient, but virtually spill-proof.
I use the "Kruze" bottle with the bottom cut off to create a funnel. Then I refill it while screwed in place using a 2 quart plastic bottle. This way it is quite easy to do and I know how much I'm adding.
 

jrm

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Location
Oregon
TDI
2013 Passat SE with nav (totaled)
good to know the extended fix warranty is working out good!
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Mark J
I never even quoted nor mentioned you in my post. I did refer to VW though.

As for buying at the truck stop you need to bring your own CLEAN container.
Someone on the TDI club claims he uses the pump straight int the tank. I don't think I'm the only one who gets little spills regardless of how careful you are. I use plastic bags to minimize any spills.
Why not just top up the tank when your at the station? Every DEF filling station has a nozzle with a rubber thin hose that slips right in the def tank fill port. Granted the chance of spilling is higher but if the light is on asking for more, you can easily fit 2-3 gallons in. A couple drops of def isn't going to ruin the car, just hold a paper towel on the hose as you remove it from the fill port.

Instead you bring your own containers, fill up, bring home, juggle kruse bottle? I used to do this until I realized I could cut 3 steps.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Why not just top up the tank when your at the station? Every DEF filling station has a nozzle with a rubber thin hose that slips right in the def tank fill port. Granted the chance of spilling is higher but if the light is on asking for more, you can easily fit 2-3 gallons in. A couple drops of def isn't going to ruin the car, just hold a paper towel on the hose as you remove it from the fill port.
Instead you bring your own containers, fill up, bring home, juggle kruse bottle? I used to do this until I realized I could cut 3 steps.
Correct. In most situations where the car is asking for DEF, you won't have any issues pumping two or three gallons. There is really no reason to top off the DEF tank. Doing so just increases the likelihood of spills.
 

Lex Tdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2016
Location
Lexington ky
TDI
2013 Passat
I use the "Kruze" bottle with the bottom cut off to create a funnel. Then I refill it while screwed in place using a 2 quart plastic bottle. This way it is quite easy to do and I know how much I'm adding.
This, we have a 250 gal tank at work and i just screw it on and pump in directly to the tank (i keep a towel over the "straw to keep if from splashing anywhere...). I would do this at truck stops if i didnt have access to my setup...
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
I found it easier to simply unscrew the top of the "Kruze" bottle, re-filling it as necessary. Cutting the bottom off just created another opportunity for contamination, during storage.
 
Top